What is Project 75 India & what it means for Indian Navy

The Nirmala Sitharaman-headed Defence Acquisition Council cleared the much-awaited Project 75 India (P75I), which envisages the construction of six conventional submarines with better sensors and weapons and the Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP). The project has been cleared under the strategic partnership model.

India’s current arsenal consists of 14 conventional submarines and two nuclear-powered submarines.

Under the strategic partnership model, an Indian shipyard will be selected by the government, which will also nominate the foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) under the overall arch of ‘Make in India’.

P75I was first cleared in 2007, but lay dormant until now after undergoing numerous changes.

India’s 30-year plan ::

The P75I project is part of a 30-year submarine building plan that ends in 2030. As part of this plan, India was to build 24 submarines — 18 conventional submarines and six nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) — as an effective deterrent against China and Pakistan.

Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar had said in 2016 that the submarine plan should continue till 2050, and that India should look to build more than 24 such vessels.

Of the 14 conventional submarines India currently possesses, including the Scorpene, only half are operational at any given point of time. India also has two nuclear-powered submarines — INS Arihant (SSBN, a ballistic missile submarine) and INS Chakra (SSN, a nuclear-powered one) leased from Russia.

Firms in contention for P75I ::

Four foreign firms have so far responded to the Indian government’s request for proposal for the project.